Aging - Anti-Aging
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REVIEW our Selected Aging Articles in 2008. Stay informed and updated!
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InfoMedSearch: Aging and Anti-Aging
PREVENT:
FALLS,
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES,
DEHYDRATION, HEAT STROKE
PROMOTE:
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Falls
NIH - Falls “A fall can change your life. If you're elderly, it can lead to disability and a loss of independence. If your bones are fragile from osteoporosis, you could break a bone, often a hip. But aging alone doesn't make people fall. Diabetes and heart disease affect balance. So do problems with circulation, thyroid or nervous systems. Some medicines make people dizzy. Eye problems or alcohol can be factors. Any of these things can make a fall more likely. … Falls and accidents seldom "just happen." Taking care of your health by exercising and getting regular eye exams and physicals may help reduce your chance of falling. Getting rid of tripping hazards in your home and wearing nonskid shoes may also help. To reduce the chances of breaking a bone if you do fall, make sure that you get enough calcium and vitamin D. “
NIH - Falls and Older Adults “More than one in three people age 65 years or older falls each year. The risk of falling -- and fall-related problems -- rises with age.”
Highlighted Articles
The functional effects of physical exercise training in frail older people : a systematic review. (Sports Med. 2008) “This systematic review suggests that older adults with different levels of abilities can improve their functional performance by regular exercise training.”
Astronaut Technology Could Prevent Elderly Falls “The National Osteoporosis Foundation estimates 300,000 people annually suffer hip fractures, which are often caused by falls. An average of 24 percent of hip fracture patients age 50 and over die within a year of the fracture. Many fall victims who don't die within a year end up being disabled the rest of their lives. "It's a huge issue," said Elinor Ginzler of the AARP. "It significantly impairs your ability to stay independent, which is what people want." “
Brain injuries from falls a deadly risk for seniors “Arias said that as the numerous baby boom generation hits retirement age, more people will fall and either die or require expensive hospital care. "CDC has developed tips and suggestions for older adults, their caregivers, health care providers, and communities to help prevent falls," Arias said. These include reducing floor clutter and providing better lighting as well as regular exercise to maintain strength and balance. More information is available at http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/preventingfalls/.“
A typology of oral hydration problems exhibited by frail nursing home residents. (J Gerontol Nurs. 2006) "Dehydration remains a substantial problem for nursing home residents, often with poor health outcomes. … Dehydration events occurred in 31% (11 of 35) of residents during the 6-month period."
Strategies for ensuring good hydration in the elderly. (Nutr Rev. 2005) "Dehydration is a frequent etiology of morbidity and mortality in elderly people. It causes the hospitalization of many patients and its outcome may be fatal. Indeed, dehydration is often linked to infection, and if it is overlooked, mortality may be over 50%. Older individuals have been shown to have a higher risk of developing dehydration than younger adults. Modifications in water metabolism with aging and fluid imbalance in the frail elderly are the main factors to consider in the prevention of dehydration. Particularly, a decrease in the fat free mass, which is hydrated and contains 73% water, is observed in the elderly due to losses in muscular mass, total body water, and bone mass. Since water intake is mainly stimulated by thirst, and since the thirst sensation decreases with aging, risk factors for dehydration are those that lead to a loss of autonomy or a loss of cognitive function that limit the access to beverages."
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Aging and Anti-Aging
General Information
NEWS:
12 surprising signs you’ll live to 100
A few extra pounds may help elderly live longer “Prior to reaching the golden years, too much body fat tends to increase the risk of dying, but extra weight may have the opposite effect for older adults, a new study hints. Higher fat mass in older adults "is thought to be an energy reserve that helps the individual survive illnesses and chronic conditions," Dr. Jennifer L. Kuk, from York University in Toronto, Canada, noted in an email to Reuters Health. The study she co-conducted with Dr. Chris I. Ardern, also from York University, seems to bear this out. In the study, many lower weight and body fat indicators were associated with a greater risk of dying among men and women aged 65 and older. Among individuals older than 75, having a low versus a normal body weight seemed to raise the risk of death from any cause by a factor of 1.6 in men and nearly 3 in women, they report in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. “
Association of vitamin D deficiency with cognitive impairment in older women. Cross-sectional study
Best, Worst Countries for Life Expectancy “The report shows that 14 countries had life expectancies of at least 81 years. Here are those countries, along with their life expectancy for babies born in 2007: • Japan: 83 • Australia, Iceland, Italy, San Marino: 82 • Andorra, France, Israel, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden: 81 At the other end of the life expectancy spectrum, 15 countries had life expectancy below age 50. Here are those countries and their life expectancy for babies born in 2007: • Sierra Leone: 41 • Afghanistan: 42 • Lesotho, Zimbabwe: 45 • Chad, Zambia: 46 • Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Swaziland, Uganda: 48 • Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali: Nigeria 49”
Daytime sleepiness provides red flag for cardiovascular disease “Clinicians should be alert to patients reporting "excessive" day time sleepiness (EDS), says the European Society of Cardiology, after a French study found healthy elderly people who regularly report feeling sleepy during the day have a significantly higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The Three City study, published in Stroke, by the American Heart Association (Thursday, February 26), found that elderly people who reported excessive day time sleepiness have a 49 % relative risk increase of cardiovascular death (from cerebrovascular disease, myocardial infarction and heart failure) , compared to those who do not report sleepiness.“
Drink a Little Wine, Live a Little Longer “Men who regularly drank up to a half a glass of wine each day boosted their life expectancy by five years, Dutch researchers report. Light, long-term alcohol consumption of all types of beverages, whether wine, spirits or beer, increased life by 2.5 years among men compared with abstention, the researchers found. By "light," they meant up to 20 grams, or about 0.7 ounces a day.“
Elderly Women With 'Dowager's Hump' May Be At Higher Risk Of Earlier Death “Hyperkyphosis, or "dowager's hump" — the exaggerated forward curvature of the upper spine seen commonly in elderly women — may predict earlier death in women whether or not they have vertebral osteoporosis, UCLA researchers have found.”
Faster BMI Drop in Old Age May Indicate Underlying Dementia
For Men Over 50, Odds of Eye Discomfort Increases “Aside from discomfort, dry eye can also cause blurry or double vision. Some people get relief by drinking more water to relieve mild dehydration, switching medications, discontinuing wearing contact lenses or by using artificial tears sold over-the-counter at drugstores. Physicians may also prescribe anti-inflammatory eye drops for patients with severe dry eyes.”
Inner Ear Balance Disorder May Put a Third of Adults at Risk for Falls “More than a third of older adults may unknowingly have an inner ear balance disorder that puts them at high risk of potentially disabling falls. A new study shows that 35% of American adults 40 and older have vestibular dysfunction of the inner ear, which hampers their sense of balance control. People with symptoms of vestibular dysfunction were eight times more likely to experience a fall. Researchers say falls in the elderly are among the most deadly, disabling, and costly health problems in the U.S.”
'Inoculating' Elderly Against Slip-related Falls “Training people to avoid falls by repeatedly exposing them to unstable situations in the laboratory helped them to later maintain their balance on a slippery floor, according to new research.”
Less Than Half Of Older Americans Get The Recommended 8 Hours Of Nightly Sleep
Living to 100 to Become Common?
'Longevity Gene' Common Among People Living To 100 Years Old And Beyond
Low Diastolic Pressure and Risk of Dementia in Very Old People: A Longitudinal Study. (Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2009) “Conclusion: Low diastolic pressure predicts the risk of dementia among very old people, and the blood pressure exhibits a substantial decline over around 3 years before the dementia syndrome becomes clinically evident.”
Obesity and Physical Inactivity May Explain Insulin Resistance With Aging “Insulin resistance is not an inherent characteristic of aging, but rather a result of obesity and physical inactivity, according to a report in the August issue of Diabetes Care. "Since the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is higher among older adults, it has been suggested that aging is associated with insulin resistance," Dr. Bret H. Goodpaster, from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, told Reuters Health. "The key question that our paper addresses in a novel way is whether or not insulin resistance is a fundamental characteristic of aging or (an outcome of) lifestyle patterns linked with aging, such as physical inactivity and obesity. … "Many of our older adults have a common belief that some of their ailments, including diabetes, or 'high sugar,' are merely an inevitable consequence of getting older," Dr. Goodpaster said. "Sadly, some health care practitioners share this belief." The "results of this paper and our previous papers clearly show that many aspects of declining health in older age, including insulin resistance, can be prevented or at least attenuated, by regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight," he added.”
Study Demonstrates Link Between Appetite And Elderly Mortality “A new study by a Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researcher reveals a linkage between elderly people's appetite and mortality rates, with those who report impaired appetite more likely to die sooner.”
Suffering Caused By Dialysis For Nursing Home Seniors May Outweigh Its Benefits, Researchers Find “"We have tended to overestimate the benefits and ignore or downplay the negative aspects of dialysis when we counsel patients about their treatment options," Kurella Tamura said. "There's a huge burden of adverse symptoms and physical disability even among the patients who receive dialysis, and these aspects are sometimes easy to overlook." After reviewing the findings, Peter Aronson, MD, a professor of nephrology at Yale University who was not involved in the study, said, "It's a real eye-opener to see how poorly patients do," The study, he added, "will be very useful for clinicians in counseling elderly nursing home patients about their care decisions." Aronson said he recommends increasing the training for nephrologists on end-of-life care issues. "Many patients have false hopes when they start dialysis. When doctors don't have realistic expectations about how their patients will do, I think it is very hard for patients to make appropriate decisions about their care." “
The Secret of Long Life? Reaction Time
Two-meal diet aids in oldest man's longevity
Vitamin D Levels in Elders “Comment: Average vitamin D levels were similar in both of these studies in older people. The factors that predisposed elders to vitamin D deficiency in the U.S. study have been recognized previously in younger populations. The Dutch results suggest that bone metabolism is affected adversely when 25(OH)D levels drop below a threshold of about 20 ng/mL. This finding supports 20 ng/mL as a reasonable cutoff for a designation of vitamin D deficiency.”
Watch the Walk and Prevent a Fall
ARTICLES:
Fall prevention: 6 ways to reduce your falling risk
Health Tip: Keep Seniors Safe at Home “The Alzheimer's Association offers these suggestions: • Make sure the house is equipped with working fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors. • Keep all hazardous areas locked or blocked, such as the garage or stairs. • Make sure that locks are installed in places that are difficult to reach, such as up high or down low. At the same time, remove locks from bathroom and bedroom doors, to prevent the person from becoming trapped inside. • Keep hazardous materials -- such as medications, household chemicals and knives -- securely locked and out of reach. • Make sure appliances have an automatic shut-off feature, and remove burner knobs from the stove. “
Life Expectancy in U.S. Up, Deaths Not, CDC Says
Low Testosterone Explained: How Do You Know When Levels Are Too Low?
JOURNAL ARTICLES:
25-Hydroxyvitamin D levels and cognitive performance and decline in elderly men (Neurology 2010) “Conclusion: We found little evidence of independent associations between lower 25-hydroxyvitamin D level and baseline global and executive cognitive function or incident cognitive decline.”
Age, neuropathology, and dementia. (N Engl J Med. 2009)
Aging, vascular risk, and cognition: Blood glucose, pulse pressure, and cognitive performance in healthy adults. (Psychol Aging. 2009)
Association of Muscle Strength With the Risk of Alzheimer Disease and the Rate of Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Older Persons (Arch Neurol. 2009)
Association of vitamin D deficiency with cognitive impairment in older women: Cross-sectional study (Neurology 2010) “Conclusions: 25-Hydroxyvitamin D deficiency was associated with cognitive impairment in this cohort of community-dwelling older women. “
Effects on balance, falls, and bone mineral density of a home-based exercise program without home visits in community-dwelling elderly women: a randomized controlled trial. (J Physiol Anthropol. 2009)
Elevated C-reactive protein levels are associated with prevalent dementia in the oldest-old (The Lancet 2009) “Background C-reactive protein (CRP) is a nonspecific marker of inflammation that is increased in the brain and serum of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and has been associated with increased risk of developing dementia. Inflammation increases with age, and the number of people reaching age 90 years and older is growing, making the association between inflammation and dementia increasingly relevant. Using a cross-sectional design, we examined whether high levels of serum CRP are associated with increased odds of prevalent dementia in the oldest-old.”
Health and disease in 85 year olds: baseline findings from the Newcastle 85+ cohort study. (BMJ. 2009) “Conclusions This large cohort of 85 year olds showed good levels of both self rated health and functional ability despite significant levels of disease and impairment. Hypertension, ischaemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, depression, and dementia may be underdiagnosed. Notable differences were found between the sexes: women outnumbered men and had more disease and disability.”
High Oxidative Stress Is Correlated with Frailty in Elderly Chinese. (J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009)
Linking hippocampal structure and function to memory performance in an aging population. ( Arch Neurol. 2009)
Nutrition, longevity and behavior. ( Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2009)
Personality Features in Subjective Cognitive Impairment and Mild Cognitive Impairment - Early Indicators of Dementia? (Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2009)
Poor vision accompanied with other sensory impairments as a predictor of falls in older women (Age and Ageing 2009)
Prostate Volume Changes Over Time: Results From the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. (J Urol. 2009)
Reducing risk of falling in older people discharged from hospital: a randomized controlled trial comparing seated exercises, weight-bearing exercises, and social visits. (Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2009)
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Rate of Hip Bone Loss in Older Men. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009) “Conclusions: In this cohort of community-dwelling older men, men with 25(OH)D levels <20 ng/mL had greater subsequent rates of hip bone loss, but rates of loss were similar among men with higher levels. These results lend support to the view that low 25(OH)D levels are detrimental to BMD in older men.”
Sleep Disorders in the Older Adult: A Mini-Review (Gerontology 2009)
Survival after 100 years of age: a multivariate model of exceptional survival in Swedish centenarians. ( J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008) “Hereditary factors, social relationships, marital status, and personality did not contribute to survival prediction in this exceptional age group.”
Telomere length and cognitive function in community-dwelling elders: Findings from the Health ABC Study. (Neurobiol Aging. 2009)
Telomere Length in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Is Associated with Folate Status in Men. (J Nutr. 2009) “The results of our study showed that plasma concentration of folate was associated with telomere length of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in a nonlinear manner. When plasma folate concentration was above the median, there was a positive relationship between folate and telomere length. In contrast, there was an inverse relationship between folate and telomere length when plasma folate concentration was below the median. The MTHFR 677C > T polymorphism was weakly associated (P = 0.065) with increased telomere length at below-median folate status. We propose that folate status influences telomere length by affecting DNA integrity and the epigenetic regulation of telomere length through DNA methylation.”
The same annual dose of 292 000 IU of vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) on either daily or four monthly basis for elderly women: 1-year comparative study of the effects on serum 25(OH)D(3) concentrations and renal function. (Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009)
Vitamin D, nervous system and aging. (Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009) “Clinical data suggest that vitamin D(3) insufficiency is associated with an increased risk of several CNS diseases, including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, seasonal affective disorder and schizophrenia. In line with this, recent animal and human studies suggest that vitamin D insufficiency is associated with abnormal development and functioning of the CNS. Overall, imbalances in the calcipherol system appear to cause abnormal function, including premature aging, of the CNS.”
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